UT Arlington College of Engineering
UT Arlington

Alumni Profile – November 2008
Don Penn – Keeping It Cool

Don Penn, owner of Image Engineering Group, has been a man on the move since his graduation with a mechanical engineering degree in 1980. He is a Professional Engineer registered to practice in 49 states and the District of Columbia and a member of nine professional engineering organizations. A sampling of his projects includes hospital surgery suites and birthing rooms, a county jail, a nuclear research facility, a bank, telecommunications centers, a host of school districts, and more than 8,000 retail stores across the United States.

Don has become one of the nation’s acknowledged experts in ground source heat pump (GSHP) applications. Now a Certified Geothermal Designer, Don became interested in ground source heating and cooling while leading a project for the Birdville School District, which was trying one of the systems in one of its schools. He at first tried to convince them otherwise. “It was just new, and engineers are pretty conservative by nature,” Don said.

The project was successful, but not as efficient as the school district had expected. By this time, Don had left the big company he was with to form his own consulting business. Birdville leaders asked him to create an improved system and he did, thanks to experience gained while working in oil fields as a youth. His design produced an extra 10 percent in energy savings over the normally substantial energy savings of ground heat pump methods.

Because of this initial success, Don went on the install similar systems in more than 140 schools across the state. And it’s all through word-of-mouth recommendations. “We don’t do marketing,” he said. “We’ve never done any advertising. We’ve never gone out and talked to school districts.”

An enthusiastic proponent of GSHP applications, Don isn’t protective about his knowledge. “I’ve been very open with the engineering community and shared with them what I’m doing because I don’t want somebody to have a bad job,” he said. “One bad job will undo 10 good ones.”

Don provided some thoughts about being a UT Arlington alumnus and his remembrances of his time at the College of Engineering.

What makes you a Maverick?  A maverick is someone who pushes the envelope with confidence, respecting the limitations while still challenging those limitations.  My professors instilled the concepts and fundamentals of engineering while challenging students to think “outside the box,” to have confidence in the theories, but prove it for yourself.  This is the philosophy I have carried forward since graduation.

 

What is your fondest memory of UT Arlington?  Working with peers on solving 3rd and 4th order differential equations through multiple iterations - by hand (We did have calculators and limited computer access.).  These typically encompassed hours and 15-plus pages of calculations…proving that we don’t have to have a computer to solve everything.  Also, the Senior Seminar classes that opened my eyes to the vast possibilities in the field of engineering.

How has the College of Engineering changed since your time at UT Arlington?  The College of Engineering has grown tremendously.  This growth has been in concert with emerging technologies.  As always, UT Arlington is a leader in many of these arenas.

What life lessons have you incorporated into your success?  Diligence and a sound trust and respect of engineering concepts and the appropriate application.

What do you know about UT Arlington that you wish others knew?  UT Arlington, in my opinion, has one of the premier engineering colleges in the United States.  A sound leader in the world of engineering.

What will be your legacy, professionally or personally?  I feel my legacy will be my efforts in the developing geothermal HVAC systems and their application.  I’ve overseen more than 150 successfully operating installations in the North Texas area as well as a peer review for a research facility project at Harvard University and many more under way.  My efforts have placed these systems in the marketplace as a viable option, while saving the end user 30-40% on energy costs.

What do you find most interesting about being an engineer?  The day-to-day challenge of reasoning out design and installation means and methods to provide the most effective and efficient result.  It is a continual learning process and I enjoy learning new applications of the concepts.

How are you, as an engineer, making a difference?  I believe my efforts and successes in the application of geothermal HVAC systems are making the difference in the environment by minimizing energy use, maximizing efficiency and providing a sound, clean, renewable solution for building HVAC systems.